What?
Juice 2017 Red Moon, Cullen, Mangan Vineyard, Wilyabrup, Margaret River, AUS
Grape 57% Malbec, 37% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot
Farming Certified Biodynamic, Sustainable, Vegan, Carbon Neutral
Tasting Note On the nose, there are plum and cherry aromas that are accompanied by lifted floral notes. The palate has a very attractive blend of juicy dark cherry, blueberry and hints of spice. Well-balanced acidity is backed by fine grained tannins on the long savoury finish.
Who?
Cullen’s philosophy is summed up in three simple words ‘Quality, Integrity and Sustainability’. It is one of the oldest and most awarded family wineries in Wilyabrup, in Western Australia’s famous Margaret River region. First established in 1971 by Dr Kevin and Diana Cullen and now run by their daughter Vanya, the winery has built an outstanding reputation for fine certified biodynamic wines that receive critical national and international acclaim. In 2019, celebrating 30 years at the helm, Vanya received double Winemaker of the Year honours at both the Australian Women in Wine Awards and the Halliday Wine Companion Awards. She is also Australia’s first female Master of Wine. In Australia Vanya is literally regarded as wine making royalty.
Why?
The story behind the birth of The Red Moon is an absolute belter. For those of you who remember there was a full Luna eclipse in 2017 and it just so happens that this fell bang smack in the middle of the 2017 harvest. Vanya (being the Biodynamic fanatic she is) wanted to harness the full, raw energy of the this once in a lifetime phenomenon so she duly woke her faithful staff up in the middle of the night so they could harvest these particular vineyards under the light of the glowing red moon. Story aside we think the wine is just awesome juice.
With?
The Red Moon has a vibrancy and brightness to it that few other Malbec’s can match. These characters make it an extremely versatile wine from a pairing point of view. We like the idea of duck breast with roasted plums, beetroot puree and duck jus. You could easily substitute the plums with black cherries and even add a little pan fried chicory to the plate as the bitterness will offset the juiciness and fruit purity of the wine. If you lean towards vegetables ditch the duck and ramp up the roasted beets, maybe done three ways (roasted, puree, shaved raw) add some pan fried chicory, walnuts and even some sautéed mushrooms and as the saying goes ‘bob’s your uncle’.
